


learn to love

by dino_friends_personal_space



Category: Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:01:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26318350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dino_friends_personal_space/pseuds/dino_friends_personal_space
Summary: G-man doesn't understand how to show love. He asks Coomer for advice.
Relationships: Bubby/Dr. Coomer/The G-Man (Half-Life)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55





	learn to love

**Author's Note:**

> idk maybe im just projecting on gman lol

Humans were confusing. 

G-man, as an outside observer to them, knew this. They were full of still little contradictions. He even saw this apparent in his half-human son, Tommy, who knew memorized every fact in Wikipedia but also spouted some complete nonsense sometimes that wasn’t physically possible. Bubby was a confident scientist that called everyone cowards yet ran away at the very hint of danger. Gordon was the “logical leader” of the group yet he acted erratically. As he said, contradictions, humans were full of them.

Though, G-man was very clear on the basics of humans. Humans, they needed air, water, shelter, basically everything on the triangle hierarchy of needs. Though, he wasn’t sure how to process the aspect of love. Though, he wasn’t sure anyone knew how to. 

Despite his mainly alien biology, G-man still felt love. He loved his son and he tolerated his son’s boyfriends. However, even more than that, he loved Dr. Coomer and Bubby. It was something that the government experiments weren’t able to get rid of. It was apart of his being despite how much was cut away and severed. 

But he wasn’t sure how to show it. Well, that was sort of a lie. He knew how to show love, he’d seen it through all those movies: hugging, kissing, cuddling, hand-holding. G-man tried his best. He’d tried to hold Coomer’s hand, squirming slightly before soon breaking away. He tried to hug Bubby to which Bubby told him to “never try again”. He did all these physically affectionate things which made him uncomfortable most of the time, but this was the way to show love, right? Love took effort and dedication. This was the way to love, right? That’s why people did this uncomfortable thing, because it showed dedication, right? 

G-man felt fake like he truly didn’t love. Maybe he didn’t have the capacity for love anymore. Maybe his alien biology made him completely incapable of it. But then what were these feelings he felt in his mind towards Coomer and Bubby? 

Did Coomer and Bubby even love him? Sometimes, G-man found himself a little bit frustrated at Bubby. Bubby would always cling to Coomer’s side, touching him often. However, Bubby didn’t do that towards G-man at all. Despite G-man being slightly thankful for it, he still felt like Bubby wasn’t putting in the effort towards him. Maybe Bubby didn’t love him anymore. 

So, G-man decided to ask Coomer about it. 

“Dr. Coomer...I have a...question.” G-man started one afternoon in the kitchen.

“Yes, dear?” Coomer responded, not looking up from the stack of fruitloops he made. G-man hesitated for a moment, biting his lip slightly. Should he even say this? Even ask this? Maybe it was obvious or something. Obvious to humans and not to him.

“Does Bubby still love me anymore?” G-man asked, his voice slightly breaking into a high pitched, drawn-out note at the end of the question like he was still hesitating to finish it. Coomer turned towards G-man, his face full of concern. G-man wondered if he messed up by saying that.

“Of course not, G-man. Why, why would you ever think that?” Coomer asked. G-man froze up.

“Bubby does...not hug me as...much as you.” 

“Do you want to be hugged more? Bubby and I were refraining because you looked uncomfortable.” G-man thought for a bit. He didn’t want to be hugged, it was too much. But, that’s what love was, wasn’t it?

“Isn’t that...how it’s supposed to be….like that? Pain...for love?” Coomer shook his head gently, 

“Hugging can feel good to some people but it doesn’t collaborate into how much someone loves someone. Love can be shown in different ways.” Coomer said, tilting his head to the side and giving him a small smile. “Plus, romantic love isn’t the only kind of love. But I digress. Bubby tends to show love through actions, liking doing stuff. Surely, you experienced that, dear?” 

G-man thought back on Bubby: affectionately wiping the cake better off his nose from when they were trying to bake cupcakes, insisting to take care of G-man minor scrapes by slapping a couple of colorful band-aids on them, making brunch pretty much every day for them since Bubby always woke up super late. 

He gave Coomer a slight nod, prompting a small chuckle from the other man. G-man approached Coomer, giving him a small pat on his head, the only thing G-man was comfortable with doing. G-man gave a small smile as he realized he could find his own way of showing love towards the ones he loved.


End file.
